“Four years ago when I took over, this program wasn’t very good,” Missouri head coach Ehren Earleywine said early Sunday morning after the Tigers’ 1-0 loss in 13 innings to Baylor that eliminated them from the Women’s College World Series.

“But we’ve won two Big 12 championships and been to three College World Series in the past four years and I’m so proud of where the players have taken the program from that day to today.”

The Bears ended the scoreless duel in the bottom of the 13th on a two-out homer on an 0-2 pitch by Holly Holl off Tiger pitcher Chelsea Thomas.

“I’m just so proud of her in so many different ways,” Earleywine said. “She knows that tonight wasn’t her fault. We didn’t hit. She pitched brilliant. One of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen.”

Thomas threw 192 pitches in the game and totaled 19 strikeouts — one shy of the World Series record.

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“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Thomas said. “It just didn’t ....